Rating: 
Summary: A smart, unpredictable journey to the dark side
Review: This film features Mamet's trademark dialog, a mix of repeated words, pauses and overlapping phrases that flow like the rapids in a river. Always unpredictable, the story begins as a low-key narrative when a famous psychologist tries to help a patient with a problem. She is quickly drawn into a dark world where nothing is what it appears to be. Her fascination with the men she meets in this world begins as work-related observation, but quickly escalates into some very personal encounters. Watching this film is like sliding down an ice-covered roof, a headlong rush toward an unknown and frightening destination. Lindsay Crouse is superb as the psychologist, a completely believable mix of cool and curious, and Joe Mantegna delivers another perfectly nuanced performance as he guides her through his dark domain. The late J. T. Walsh shines here as always, his brief but pivotal role raising the energy level to a fever pitch. Ricky Jay and Mike Nussbaum are fascinating as con men who seem to enjoy showing some of their tricks to an interested spectator. This film will satisfy both mystery fans and suspense addicts.
Rating: 
Summary: Smart, sly and incredibly well acted
Review: This film is a joy just for the dialouge. I had seen previous works of Mamet( The Untouchables, Glengary Glen Ross, Wag the Dog) But this was probably the best film I've ever seen that he was involved with. I see now why I enjoy actors like Joe Mantegna, William H. Macy and the late great J.T. Walsh- They started off working with a man who wrote great scripts and were able to develop great performances from this. Any budding screenwriter should study this film and sit back and smile. Recommended viewing along with House of Games- The Spanish Prisoner.
Rating:
Summary: Love It Every Time We See It
Review: This is a very intricate movie written and directed by David Mamet. Unlike lesser talents, he can make a convoluted story totally understandable to the viewers yet surprise you every step of the way. Lindsay Crouse, his then real life wife, played the woman psychiatrist who has just written a bestselling book and become the toast of the intelligentsia in New York. She's also had quite a bit of money roll in from her book. One of her young male patients exhibits great distress and she discovers he is in mortal danger because he owes some big guys in crime a lot of money that he can't pay. Although she's not supposed to become personally involved with patient's lives, this time she decides to talk to the head man in question and see if she can reason with him for her patient's welfare. That crime man is played by Joe Matagna who does a tour de force acting job showing every facet of this con man, trickster character. The psychiatrist is attracted to him and Mantagna can make this guy attractive. But there is no doubt that he can be a very bad guy and an expert con man. You find yourself drawn further and further into the con games going on until they seem like one of those Russian nesting dolls which keep breaking down into yet more dolls. Hubby and I have seen this film about 4 or 5 times and we always enjoy it. I can't tell you anymore though without giving too much away. Let the film work its own mesmerizing magic on you.
Rating:
Summary: A STUNNING PSYCHOLOGIAL THRILLER...
Review: This is an absolutely mesmerizing film. A wonderful addition to that genre known as "film noir", the movie is superlative in every way. In his directorial debut, David Mamet shows a keen understanding of the concept "less is more". The two main characters in the film are a well known psychiatrist with a best selling book, Dr. Margaret Ford, played with chilly determinism by Lindsay Crouse, and a slick con man, known only as Mike, brilliantly played by Joe Mantegna with a sinister, charismatic charm. She is stiff and formal. He is casual and seemingly easygoing. Each is involved in a field of endeavor that requires a keen understanding of human nature. They meet by virtue of what each of them does for a living. Dr. Ford is treating a young patient, who claims to be despondent over getting in over his head financially, while gambling at a disreputable and seedy locale known as the House of Games. She is worried about her patient's potential for suicide, so she decides to go to the House of Games to see if she can straighten out the whole mess. There, she meets Mike, the person to whom the debt is owed. From the moment they meet, there is a latent, sexual tension between them and an aura of danger and seduction that permeates the air. Intrigued by him, she is drawn into his world, where things are not always what they seem. There are many twists and turns in this most unusual film, which deftly manipulates the viewer. The film is tautly crafted, and the dialogue itself is highly stylized with its own peculiar cadence. This serves to add to the air of mystery and suspense which infuses this film. There is an excellent supporting cast whose strong performances contribute to the overall quality of this multi-layered film. There is even a small cameo by William H. Macy. It is with good reason that this film was touted by critics as one of the best films for 1987. It meets the high standards set for this genre of film by the late, great director, Alfred Hitchcock. It is simply a stunning tour de force.
Rating:
Summary: Approach this one with care
Review: This movie is not meant to be entertaining. In fact, Mamet's directing, combined with the acting of some principal characters (primarily Lindsay Crouse) seems designed to obscure and make difficult the comprehension of this movie. What this movie's about is not the characters (which may be fine with some people -- my girlfriend Sarah had a particular objection to the depiction of the female lead). Instead it's about the inner nature of the characters and how the class conflict between the wealthy and respected psychiartist (Crouse) and the low-down con man (Mantegna) reflects on the world around them, how their actions have a ripple effect. Mamet is also condemning Crouse's character for believing she can step out of her role in society with impunity. She can't, he says, and while the effect may be bad for those around her, it has a transforming effect on the woman herself. One thing I must mention is, as I say, my girlfriend Sarah objected to the depiction of the female lead. This is not meant to be a reflection on women in general or on the character as a woman. It simply matters that the high-class character who steps out of her role in life and the swindler must have a sexual as well as personal harmonic, and since most criminals are male, it simply follows that the high-class character needed to be female. Two and two is four. No harm intended. Not to a broad class, anyway.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Top Ten Movies of All Time
Review: This movie is probably David Mamet's best, although "The Spanish Prisoner" comes in at a close second. While the acting is superb, Mamet's direction gets all credit here, keeping the viewer on the edge and never ceasing to amaze us with a new twist. I never get tired of watching this movie.
Rating:
Summary: This movie is awesome
Review: This movie rocks. It's about this underground casino that is muscleing in on the local Yakuza's territory. The Yakuza are the Japanese mob, and they are mean and ruthless. Meanwhile this restaraunt owner is getting caught up in the gambling because he is winning so much money and it's a lifestyle that he likes. Fortunatly his wife is a cop and is trying to stop the Yakuza as well as stop this casino (I won't tell you why because that would ruin the surprise) but man the end is just an amazing shootout in a local department store. Throw in some great carchases, hot women, classic fightscenes, intense poker scenes, and you have a recipie for action. David Mamat prooves he knows how to make a knock down drag them out action flick. He would later show off his talents in Glen Gary Glenross, about corrupt insurance salesmen that rub out homeowners so that they can then sell the house for huge amounts of money. You should see this movie. The raid at the art museum is worth it alone just to see the expolsions and rock the modern art wing.
Rating: 
Summary: Painful acting, leaden pace
Review: Too stylized to be enjoyable. Crouse is so wooden that you wish the camera would move away from her and free her up. Mantegna is slightly more enjoyable, but the convincing performances are all from the bit-players. The result -- no tension (how can you care about the leads?), no engagement, and therefore no pay-off. A clunker I can't wait to get rid of.
Rating:
Summary: one of the best films you never heard of
Review: totally mesmerizing, from beginning to end, just when you are sure you have it all figured out... it's another con 4.5 is right!
Rating: 
Summary: A good play out
Review: Watching the con(s) play out was the absolute best aspect of this film. Everything was rolled into everything else. As with THE SPANISH PRISONER, we don't get the --perhaps-- more enjoyable perspective of the conners, only of the conned. This isn't necessarily bad. HOUSE OF GAMES is a classic for many reasons, I think the direction is not at all bad, and the overall plot is interesting. However, I think it suffers many of the problems that beset THE SPANISH PRISONER. Mamet's dialogue is always kind of obtusely overwrought. No surprises there. This isn't problemmatic, however, if the actor succeeds in making delivering these lines so that they seem natural. When that does succeed, the dialogue can seem brilliant and provokative. Witness, for instance, Gene Hackman or Danny DeVito in THE HEIST. When it doesn't, it comes across absurd, self-indulgent, and farcical. That brings us to the chokingly bad performance of Lindsay Crouse. She is the woman pshrink with the best-selling book and godawful "eighties" hairdo. No empathy is deserved here, nor earned. After seeing some of Rebecca Pidgeon's performances, it seems Mamet has a penchant for actresses with the vibrancy and subtlty of drying paint. Beige paint. Crouse's line delivery had the painful quality of chewing plywood; one begins to think that in the middle of a line she will fall asleep or something. Joe Montegna is excellent, deftly playing out his character to attract not only the woman pshrink, but the audience as well. In his final scene, where we are subjected to just how awful he is, we are shocked at the romanticized perspective we took of the con-man lifestyle. All in all, HOUSE OF GAMES has become a classic of sorts. Mainly this is because most of the other movies of its era were simply awful (what to do when E.T sets the benchmark?). It certainly exceeds the garish, silly, and painfully inept THE SPANISH PRISONER. The psychological gaming is simply far more sophisticated. The directing --and for a first-time director-- is commendable. Mamet plays with a couple of twisting shots, but mostly he lets the murky and wet city-scape do his work for him.
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